Featured New Bluetooth Sodium Ion 12 Volt Battery

Lithium Ion and lead acid can be damaged when drained to zero. Sodium Ions and LFP can be drained to zero safely and still be cycled to 2000-5000 for LFP and 2000-10,000 for Sodium Ion. So they should be good for life. That means you can leave your car unattended for longer periods without fear of damage to the 12v battery. Plus some advanced 12v batteries have a shut of protection system when a voltage is reached.

 

Which profile (on an intelligent charger) should be used to properly charge the NexPower 12V battery? AGM or LiFePO4?

 

Is the 36Ah capacity of the NexPower 12V battery theoretical or the actual usable capacity?

From my understanding, Sodium-Ion batteries should be charged at 15.6V, but a Prius provides between 14.4V and 14.8V depending on the outside temperature.

This means the Sodium-Ion battery won’t be fully charged when using the Prius, and you wouldn’t be able to use the full 36Ah in that case. Please correct me if I’m wrong and clarify how this works for the NexPower 12V.

 

Does the JK BMS need to be configured for a specific car model (e.g., Prius 2, 3, RAV4, etc.) before installing the battery, or is the battery pre-configured by default to be fully compatible with the S46B24R?

 

What is the maximum charging current the battery can accept? How many hours would I need to keep my Prius in 'Ready' mode to fully charge the battery from 10% to 100%?

 

I charged with a 14.4 charger (typical for 12v charging voltage) at 160w and it took about 3-4 hours to complete and the pack recognized it as full. The watts started dropping a lot after 14v was reached.

When you get the 12v battery. Make sure to reset the app password so strangers can't access your pack if. Anyone who knows what app to use can change the settings by using the default passwords.

First thing you should do is backup your parameters. Because there is no Factory Reset feature. There is an Export Params button. Once you export it goes to this directory on the phone (see below).

The parameters came preset. Best to make a backup in case you make a mistake. Use the Export Params so you can Import them later.

 

I've been running an LFP 12V battery for a couple years now in my Toyota Avalon Hybrid.

It's a self-heating battery, but my only issue thus far is when it's -25 °F or colder and I don't have it charging and self-heating, as the battery protection shuts off the battery at those cold temps.

I'd consider Jack's 12V sodium battery if I needed a 12V battery and if it had a bit more Ah. My LFP is 100 Ah, which works great for me as an amateur radio operator, more air time without having to run the car engine.

 

The Toyota Avalon Hybrid also uses an S46B24R battery. How did you manage to install a 100Ah LFP battery in the car? Normally, 100Ah LFP batteries are similar in size to the S46B24R, but their positive terminal is usually on the opposite side. Did you find an LFP model with a compatible terminal layout, or are you using an adapter or extension cable to connect it to the vehicle? Which LFP model are you using? I’d really appreciate it if you could share how you installed a 100Ah LFP battery in your Avalon Hybrid.

 

I got one from Li-Time that is technically too big. Li-Time does have a smaller 100Ah version, but it doesn't have the cold weather protection and self-heating. The terminals are in the correct places, no extensions needed. But I had to modify the battery holder base and bracket by bending them a little in order to get it to fit. However, it fits in the battery compartment, is clamped down, and until you open the battery compartment door you'd never know it was a bit bigger than the stock battery.

 

Apparently 90% of all global soda ash deposits (used to make sodium ion batteries) sits in one state in the US. Wyoming.

"Sodium-ion batteries rely on soda ash, a resource that is readily available in US. According to Statista, the world's natural soda ash reserves amounted to approximately 25 billion metric tonnes in 2023. Of this, 23 billion metric tonnes could be found in US alone. Researchers say that this relatively low-cost and less water-intensive battery could serve as an alternative to lithium-ion batteries in the future."

US Betting Big on Sodium-ion Batteries To Counter China's Dominance – Outlook Business

 

First sodium ion powerbank/car jumper I've seen on Amazon. 10 years standby, works at -40F, 5000 cycles, little to no fire risks. You can throw it in your car for 10 years!?

Save 20% at checkout as of this post:

6000A Sodium-Ion Car Jump Starter

 

I'm the paranoid type and want to make sure the battery is safe from the inside. So I popped out the top cover using a rigid Home Depot putty knife. There is no glue holding the cover. Only snaps in place. Popping only from the corners worked. First thing I notice is there is no glue to secure the screws connecting main wires to their terminals. So I tightened the screws (which was already tight) and then dabbed a little silicone glue to hold it in places so that little vibrations wouldn't loosen it during it's lifetime. Coming off while driving won't be good. Maybe even dangerous. So a suggestion to Jack and to the manufacturer is to glue the main wire to the plastic casing so it won't wiggle loose while in use. I then decided to poke a hot nail through the side to create a tiny vent hole on both sides. If there is any heat built up, it can vent more easily. Toyota 12v batteries have vent tubes. The main wires were silicone sleeved so that is good. Looks clean and professional overall. Voltage is still at around 14v after 3 weeks of sitting in storage. I have not used this on my car yet since my existing 12v is still new.

 

@PriusV17

Thanks for sharing the photos, really interesting stuff.
I noticed in the app screenshot that the cell type is listed as LFP.
What made you choose LFP instead of sodium‑ion?

 

I don't think it's LFP. I thought it was, but the spec don't match LFP. It matches Sodium Ion. The app probably never had Sodium Ion as an option. When I try to change the setting there is no Sodium Ion option. This battery spec matches Jack's Sodium Ion 12v batteries. Even the rest voltage stayed at 14v for weeks. It should be able to charge higher at 15v but 12v chargers don't go that high. Jack's screenshot showed 12v for his LFP battery. Maybe someone else can verify if their app shows Sodium Ion for their battery type?

 

Hi All,

I was looking at the BMS settings on the screenshots here:
The ultimate 12v auxiliary battery with JK Active-Balance Bluetooth BM– NexPower Energy

I noticed something concerning:

• Charge UTP = –10°C (14°F) → charging is completely disabled below this temperature
• Charge UTPR = 0°C (32°F) → even after warming above –10°C (14°F), charging won’t resume until 0°C (32°F)

So in reality, this battery cannot start charging below freezing, even though the product page claims a wide operating range (–40°F to 140°F). For winter use this feels misleading, because the BMS simply refuses to charge until the pack reaches at least 32°F.

Is it possible that:

• the BMS settings on the screenshots are incorrect for the Sodium‑Ion pack,
• or this unit has a LiFePO‑configured BMS installed by mistake,
• given that the manufacturer also sells LiFePO batteries?

Has anyone asked the vendor about this, or seen different temperature thresholds in a genuine Sodium‑Ion BMS?

 

Hi @mikk,

As mentioned in the setup guide, the BMS is fully configurable. Since you have the sodium-ion version, you can set the low-temperature limit to -40°C if needed.

As a battery seller, we set the default parameters conservatively to protect the battery as much as possible. However, you are welcome to adjust the settings based on your specific needs, as long as it does not exceed the -40F ~ 140F degree limit.

hope this helps,

Best regards,
Jack

 

Sure, we can configure the BMS to allow charging down to -40°C or any other temperature. However, the real question is whether charging at those temperatures is safe for the sodium-ion cell chemistry itself.

Based on my investigation so far, I have not found a significant difference between LiFePO and sodium-ion cells regarding low-temperature charging limitations. Therefore, I would like to see the cell manufacturer's datasheet or other official documentation before deciding what charging temperature limits can be safely configured in the BMS.

Do you have the manufacturer's specifications for these cells?

The BMS can only enforce limits, it cannot change the underlying electrochemical behavior of the cells. The safe charging parameters should ultimately be determined by the cell manufacturer's specifications.

 

@PriusV17

Since you've already opened your sodium-ion battery, did you happen to notice the manufacturer of the cells?

If possible, could you post a few photos of the cells, especially ones that clearly show the manufacturer, cell model, and any specifications or markings?

Many thanks in advance!

 

The whole pack with cells and electronics is firmly bonded to the case. So can't go beyond what is shown on photos. To me the giveaway that they are not LFP is the nominal voltage right now even after that full charge to 14.4v since my last charge over almost 2 months ago is now sitting at 13.77v. LFP is usually around 12.4-12.8v if left sitting around after a full charge from 14.4v.

I will start using it next week. I bought it to keep ready in case my current 12v lead acid dies. But I might as well do the switch to see how it behaves and then switch back if I don't like it.

I was ready to buy the Sodium Ion HV pack. They were back in stock a few days ago but right before I was ready to buy, it went back out of stock. People must be buying them out fast? Hope more restocking soon. I won't do my switch to Sodium Ion HV until I buy a new Chevy Bolt as backup so I have something to drive in the mean time

 

@jacktheripper

Hi Jack,

could you please share some photos of the cells in your 12V sodium-ion battery, including any visible manufacturer names, model numbers, specifications, or markings? I’m interested in seeing the details of the cells you used.

Many thanks in advance!